1. Field
The present specification generally relates to reactors for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from a gas stream and, more specifically, to reactors having segmented honeycomb structures for adsorbing CO2.
2. Technical Background
Natural gas is extracted from deposits to provide fuel for a variety of applications including home heating and cooking. In general, methane is the primary component of the natural gas that is used for fuel. As extracted from deposits, however, natural gas includes several other substances that are mixed with the methane extracted from the deposits. Such substances can include water, carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide, liquid hydrocarbon condensate, and heavier gaseous hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, and butane. Many of these substances are separated from the methane before the fuel is delivered to customers.
Various technologies are currently being used and/or developed to improve the capture of CO2 from process gas streams. Such technologies include, for example, a liquid amine (MEA or KS-1) process, a chilled ammonia process, and gas membranes. While each of these technologies is effective for removing CO2 from a process gas stream, each technology also has drawbacks. The chilled ammonia process is still in its early phases of development and the commercial feasibility of the process is not yet known. Some possible challenges with the chilled ammonia process include ammonia volatility and the potential contamination of the ammonia from gaseous contaminants such as SOx and NOx. Various gas membrane technologies are currently employed for the removal of CO2 from process gas streams. However, processes utilizing gas membrane technologies require multiple stages and/or recycling in order to achieve the desired amount of CO2 separation. These multiple stages and/or recycling add significant complexity to the CO2 recovery process as well as increase the energy consumption and cost associated with the process. Gas membrane technologies also typically require high pressures and associated space constraint which makes use of the technology difficult in installations with limited space such as offshore platforms.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative methods and apparatuses which may be used to recover CO2 from process gas streams.